Let the barrage begin. It’s a new year and a new phase of the media race for the GOP nomination for governor.
The Air War
Posted inState Government
Who’ll Control the Crayons Next Year?
As more candidate filings become available from the state’s bigger counties, it’s apparent that Republicans are going to have a noisy beginning to the year. They’ve got an unusual number of primary election challengers to their legislative incumbents. Democrats, meanwhile, are making a weak play for political control in the next decade. That’s not an assessment of whether their candidates can compete — it’s about whether they’re in position to make real gains even if they do win some elections. Redistricting comes around in 2011, and the minority party needs either a House majority or a majority of seats on an arcane legislative board to control the map-making. They don’t appear to be in position to do that.
Posted inState Government
An Interview with Jerry Patterson
The Texas Land Commissioner talks with the Tribune’s Evan Smith about taking on ExxonMobil, protecting the Texas coastline, what he really thinks of all those Tea Party Republicans.
Posted in
T-Squared
T-Squared: Question Time
If you were interviewing Speaker Joe Straus on Wednesday morning, what would you ask him?
Posted inState Government
2010: Oh, the KBH Campaign’s Just Gonna Love This
Deposed debate-question-asker Paul Burka’s latest TEXAS MONTHLY cover story: “Perry for President?!?”
Posted inState Government
TribBlog: So Long
Family and friends of Austin political consultant Kelly Fero, who died unexpectedly at age 57 this week, said goodbye at a memorial event this morning.
Posted in
Demographics
TribWeek: In Case You Missed It
Ramshaw’s four-parter on the rural health care condundrum and depressing take-out on sexual abuse in youth lock-ups. Ramsey on filing day follies and the untimely death of a Democratic mainstay. Aguilar on the U.S. government’s detention center mea culpa. Grissom on alien deportations in the name of making our streets safer. Rapoport on the organization and association endorsement dance. Hamilton on whether coattails exist. Hu and Philpott’s multimedia profile of Linda Chavez-Thompson. And Philpott on big gubernatorial campaign bucks and even bigger candidate angst over the ways journalists are using social and new media to cover them. The best of our best from January 4 to January 8, 2010.
Posted in
Energy
TribBlog: Clearing the Air
Texas needs to clean up its air. The candidates for governor say they know how to do it.
Posted in
Energy
2010: Class is In
Land Commissioner Jerry Patterson invited both of the Democrats running for his job to stop by for a crash course on what the General Land Office does.
